Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s former IT aide Imran Awan was indicted Thursday on four counts including making false statements and conspiracy, Fox News reported.
Mr. Awan and other IT aides have been under suspicion by investigators for months after being accused of stealing equipment and sensitive information from House members’ computers. Many lawmakers had already terminated him from their service, but Ms. Schultz, Florida Democrat and a former Democratic National Committee chairwoman, kept him on the payroll until his arrest.
Mr. Awan was arrested last month at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia trying to board a plane to Pakistan where he allegedly sent the money to his family there.
Ms. Schultz’s decision to keep Mr. Awan on the payroll, despite knowing of a criminal investigation into his activities, has put the Florida Democrat under scrutiny as well. She has dismissed the entire case against Mr. Awan as “right-wing media circus fringe.”
Mr. Awan’s wife, Hina Alvi, was also indicted on Thursday.
Fox News reported that Mr. Awan earlier pleaded not guilty to a single count of bank fraud and that his attorney said “that federal authorities have no evidence of misconduct by Awan relating to his IT duties.”
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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